Steam condenser and purifier.



J. L. ZEIGLER.

STEAM CONDENSER AND PURIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED 111:0. 14. 1909.

1,020,675, Patented Mar. 19,1912.

\JULUMUIA ILANOORAPH CO-IWAJHIINUTDN. D. c

UNITED STATES PETENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. ZEIGLER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO VERTICAL CONDENSER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALI-FORNIA.

STEAM CONDENSER AND PURIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1,020,675. Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Application filed December 14, 1909. Serial No. 533,098.

To all whom it may concern. 9 is a hollow body provided with internal Beitknown that 1, JOHN L. ZEIGLER, a flanges 10 formed spirally withinsuch holcitizen of the United States, residing at Los low body.

Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and ll. indicates a pipe leadingfrom a suitable State of California, have invented a new steam supply.

and useful 5team-0ondenser and Purifier, 1''. is a collar fastened tothe shell 1, and 1.2-3 of which the following is a specification. arefastening means to fasten the hollow My invention relates to that classof water body 9 to such flanges. condensers in which steam is condensedfor 1. 1 is a drainage from the bottom of the ice manufacturing purposesas well as drinkchamber ing purposes, and has for one of its objects 15is a man-hole to allow admission into the condensation of steam and thefreeing the coni cal bottom 16. of the water from any gases which may be17 is a pipe adapted to supply cooling carried by the steam. water froma suitable source of water sup- Another object of my invention is toproply, not shown. The line sheet 3 rests upon vide a condenser andpurifier which can be an upwardly extending llange 18 of the operatedcontinuously without the necessity conical bottom .1 (3 within theshell 1. A reof ceasing the operation for cleaning purinforcing anglecollar lt) is arranged above poses. the top of the flange (5.

Another object of my invention is to pro- 20, 20 indicate heatinsulating jackets Vide means in a condenser whereby a II10 about theupper end of the tlues below the tion will be imparted to the steam,which top line sheet will have a tendency to liberate all gases Inoperation, steam is admitted to the from the same and permit theirseparation chamber 5 through the pipe. 11. and hollow from the watercondensed from the steam body 2). The spirally arranged flanges 10 andalso permit the escape of the gases from within the hollow body 9 imparta gyratory the condenser. or whirling motion to the steam, and theAnother object of my invention is to pro same is thrown against thetines 1, l, thereby vide a steam condenser and purifier which agitatingthe steam and breaking it up and will be simple in construction, andwhich causing the steam to be distributed throughcan be easily repaired.out the cylindrical shell. The point of ad- The accompanying drawingsillustrate mission through collar 12 is located at a my invention.distance above the lower line sheet 3 sutli- Figure 1 is a verticalsection of the con cient to allow of the incoming steam to he denser andpurifier. Fig. 2 is a horizontal above and out of the influence of theconsection on line w w Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a densed water in the bottom ofthe chamber5. cross section of the meansfor imparting a Cold water isadmitted to the conical bot' whirling motion to the steam. tom to throuh the pipe 17 and flows up- 1 is the shell of the condenser and puri-\vardly therefrom through the lines -l-, -i into tier which ispreferably formed from boiler the [lange (i and outwardly therefrom ironand is circular in cross section. through the outlet pipe 7. Theupwardly 2 is a top line sheetand 3 is a bottom flue tlowing coolingwater causes the steam adsheet, which flue sheets are located withinmitted through the collar l2 to be conthe circular shell 1 near the topand bottom densed, and when so condensed it will tlow respectively ofthe shell. downwardly along the 'llucs l-, -land the t, 4 are finesmounted in the flue sheets 2 shell l to the bottom where it is collectedand 3 and forming water passage-ways and allowed to [low outwardlythrough the through the steam space 5 within the shell.

l outlet pipe til. 6 is a flange extending above the flue The whirlingmotion imparted to the insheet 2.

coming steam by the spiral flanges 10 dis- 7 is a drain communicatingwith the space tributes the steam throughout the entire area w1th1n theflange 6.

of the condenser and uniformly into contact 8 is a relief valve adaptedto permit the with the llucs -l-, -l, and allows the cooling escape ofgases from the upper portion of effect. of the upwardly flowing waterwithin the chamber 5.

the lines to extract the heat from the steam and carry the same upwardlyin the water within the flues. As the water carrying the heat extractedfrom steam progresses up wardly, it serves to maintain the temperatureof the upper portion of the chamber at a degree of temperature slightlybelow the condensing point of steam, but is not cold enough to condenseany gases of lubricating oils or other gases which may be combined withthe steam, and such gases are allowed to collect in the upper portion ofthe chamber 5, and when such gases have attained a pressure suflicientto cause the relief valve 8 to act, such gases will be dischargedthrough such valve. The' water having performed the function ofcondensing the water from the steam and liberating the gases from thecombination therewith will flow outwardly from the upper part of thecondenser through the overflow pipe 7.

To prevent any condensation of the gases in the upper part of thechamber 5 in case the cooling water should not absorb suflicientheatfrom the steam to maintain a high enough temperature in the gas Zone, orthe cooling water should circulate so rapidly as to prevent itsabsorbing sufficient heat to maintain the temperature of the upper partof the chamber I have incased the upper ends of the fines in heatinsulating jackets 20 20 to prevent such gases from giving up their heatto the circulating water in the flues. By insulating such flues Imaintain the temperature of the gases in the upper part of the chamberand prevent any liability of their condensing and running down the fluesor the shell to again mingle with the steam or the condensates of thesteam.

My invention is particularly adapted for condensing and purifying steamfrom engines, and will liberate from such steam any gases formed fromlubricating oils used in the engine and volatilizecl and carriedtherefrom by the steam. Furthermore, my invention will condense andpurify such steam and prevent any oil from condensing into the water ofcondensation.

The heat from the steam will be sufficient to cause incrustation ordeposit of scale to occur in the flues 4c, 4 from the water flowingupwardly therethrough, and when such incrustation or deposit occurs thesame can be effectually removed by inserting a suitable flue cleanerinto the upper part of the flues and working such flue cleaner up anddown therethrough.

The deposit cleaned from the inside of the flues will fall downwardlyinto the conical bottom 16. As the space above the top flue sheet 2 isopen or exposed at the top, this operation may be performed while thecon denser is in operation without interfering in any manner with thecondensing process, and such operation may be performed often enough toprevent any deposit of scale within the flues, thereby keeping suchflues in condition whereby the full cooling effect of the water may beexerted upon the steam.

The conical bottom 16, together with the flue sheet 8, forms a waterchamber having an area suflicient to furnish a body of water beneathsuch flue sheet having a cooling surface of maximum capacity to absorbthe heat from the water of condensation and to maintain the same at alow enough temperature to prevent its reheating and vaporization fromthe effect of the steam admitted into the chamber above the water ofcondensation. The flange 6 above the flue sheet 2 is of suflicientheight to form a chamber which will contain water above the flue sheet 2of considerable depth before such water will overflow into the outletpipe 7. The flues 4, it may be made of any suitable flue material andmay be thin enough to readily allow the heat of the steam to be absorbedby the water flowing upwardly through the uninsulated portions thereof.

I have discovered that by admitting steam to the condensing chamber at apoint above the outlet for the condensate, and providing a chamber ofsuflicient height to allow the gases to ascend above the inlet point,that I avoid all liability of such gases condensing and avoid allliability of washing or carrying such gases downwardly into the condensate from the steam, as would occur if the inlet point of the steam. wasat or near the upper portion of the condensing chamber, and I have alsodiscovered that by maintaining the temperature of the upper portion ofthe condensing chamber at a point above the condensing temperature ofthe gases formed from the lubricating oils used in a steam engine, thatsuch gases being lighter than steam, or the condensate of steam, willseek the upper portion of the chamber and will escape through a suitablyarranged valve, and that such gases when separated from the steam willnotagain combine with the same, and by preventing their condensation Iam enabled to allow such gases to escape from the condenser in theirvapor form.

By the use of my improved condenser and purifier, I am enabled to takeexhaust steam from a steam engine and condense distilled water therefromwhich is free from all gases or impurities, and I am enabled to utilizesuch water in the manufacture of ice without further boiling orpurifying the same to drive off any excess of air therefrom.

The whirling motion imparted to the steam by the hollow body having theinternal spiral flanges, produces a motion to the steam which causes anyair or excess of oxygen combined with the steam to be separatedtherefrom and to rise to the upper portion of the chamber where itescapes through the relief valve.

What I claim is 1. A steam condenser and purifier comprising a verticalshell provided with a conical bottom with a bottom flue sheet above saidconical bottom forming a water chamber, a top flue sheet and a flangeabove said top flue sheet forming an open topped chamber above the topflue sheet, flues extending vertically in the shell between the bottomand top flue sheets and establishing communication between the waterchamber at the bottom and the open topped water chamber at the top ofthe shell, means for supplying water to the water chamber at the bottom,overflow means for leading water from the water chamber at the top,drainage means near the bottom of the shell above the bottom flue sheet,a steam supply pipe opening into the lower portion of the shell at theside thereof at a pointabove the flue sheet, and a vapor outlet from theupper portion of the shell below the top flue sheet.

2. A steam condenser and purifier comprising a vertical shell providedwith a conical bottom with a bottom flue sheet above said conical bottomforming a water chamber, a top flue sheet and a flange above said topflue sheet forming an open topped chamber above the top flue sheet,flues extending vertically in the shell between the bottom and top fluesheets and establishing communication between the water chamber at thebottom and the open topped water chamber at the top of the shell, meansfor supplying water to the water chamber at the bottom, overflow meansfor leading water from the water chamber at the top, drainage means nearthe bottom of the shell above the bottom flue sheet, a steam supply pipeopening into the lower portion of the shell at the side thereof at apoint above the flue sheet, and a vapor outlet from the upper portion ofthe shell below the top flue sheet, said vapor outlet means beingprovided with a relief valve maintaining definite pressure in theinterior of the shell.

A steam condenser and purifier comprising a vertical shell provided witha conical bottom with a bottom flue sheet above said. conical bottomforming a water cham- I ber, a top flue sheet and a flange above saidtop flue sheet forming an open topped chamber above the top flue sheet,flues extending vertically in the shell between the bottom and top fluesheets and establishing communication between the water chamber at thebottom and the open topped water chamher at the top of the shell, meansfor supplying water to the water chamber at the bottom, overflow meansfor leading water from the water chamber at the top, drainage means nearthe bottom of the shell above the bottom flue sheet, a steam supply pipeopening into the lower portion oi the shell at the side thereof, and avapor outlet from the upper portion of the shell below the top fluesheet, said steam supply means being provided with a hollow memberformed with internal flanges extending spirally to cause whirling motionof the steam as it enters the shell.

4. A steam condenser and purifier comprising a vertical shell providedwith a conical bottom with a bottom flue sheet above said conical bottomforming a water chamber, a top flue sheet and a flange above said topflue sheet forming an open topped chamber above the top flue sheet,flues extending vertically in the shell between the bottom and top fluesheets and establishing communication between the water chamber at thebottom and the open topped water chamber at the top of the shell, meansfor supplying water to the water chamber at the bottom, overflow meansfor leading water from the water chamber at the top, drainage means nearthe bottom of the shell above the bottom flue sheet, a steam supply pipeopening into the lower portion of the shell at the side thereof, and avapor outlet from the upper portion of the shell below the top fluesheet, and heat insulating means around the upper portion of the flues.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 6th day of December, 1909.

JOHN L. ZEIGLER. In presence of F. M. TOWNSEND, FRANK L. A. GRAHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

